


You Don't Have to be Brave for Me.

by GrooveCrusader



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, POV Hanamura Yosuke, Souji needs cuddles too people, souyo - Freeform, very light gore basically nothing i'm a baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:15:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25528801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrooveCrusader/pseuds/GrooveCrusader
Summary: Yosuke Hanamura is not ready for this. When his partner is badly injured trying to protect him, Yosuke finds himself with the sole responsiblity of caring for his injuries, but being so intimate with Souji is enough to force out Yosuke's repressed emotions, whether he's ready or not.
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu, Hanamura Yosuke/Persona 4 Protagonist, Hanamura Yosuke/Seta Souji
Comments: 21
Kudos: 196





	1. I'm With You.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my very first fic, so please be kind! I wanted to write about my fave Persona boys because we need more Souyo in our lives imo. The community around this ship have been really friendly and inspiring to me and I wanted to contribute something. It's currently 3 chapters, and I feel happy to leave this one there for now. Some angst/repressed feelings but all is fluffy in the end! I hope you enjoy it.

Yosuke felt like he was going to start sobbing. The tears were already flowing as he looked down at his partner crumpled on the floor. He kneeled down next to Souji as Yukiko summoned the last of her energy to heal him as much as she could, although she couldn’t fully revive him. Yosuke didn’t know how he had managed to carry his partner out of the dungeon without his legs giving way. Just feeling Souji’s body tremble in his arms was enough to pierce his heart. His body, shot through with adrenaline, was all that gave him the resilience to power through. He had to get his partner to safety. He had gently laid Souji down at the entrance, who was bearing it all so well despite the pain. 

“Partner I…What can I--” Yosuke stammered hopelessly. 

Souji’s clear grey eyes were on him. Yosuke had never seen him look like this before. So vulnerable. So frail. Souji’s unshakeable calm demeanour had always made Yosuke feel safe, like their team were unstoppable. Now he had risked his own life to save Yosuke’s, and guilt, disbelief and love for his partner were fighting a war inside Yosuke’s head.

The thought of anything happening to Souji made him feel sick to his stomach. The bond they shared was intense and inseparable, unlike anything else he had ever felt. Wracked with guilt, Yosuke used every ounce of emotional strength he had left to pull himself together. This was his chance to be strong for Souji. It felt like all the parts of his soul were scattered apart, as though Jiraiya had been torn asunder, and it took a herculean effort of determination to force himself into something resembling normalcy. 

“That’s about all I can do for now,” Yukiko breathed, dropping down to catch her breath.

“Thank you…Yukiko” Souji stirred.

“Of course, Souji. I’m sorry that I can’t do more, but this should be enough to get you back home.” Yukiko smiled down at him, but beneath the façade, she was worried.

“We should get out of here,” said Chie. “Yosuke, you’ll get him home, right? Dojima and Nanako are still away right now, and I don’t think he should be alone.”

Yosuke’s stomach lurched. He was so nervous about being alone with Souji right now. He wanted to give Souji everything, anything to make him feel better, but all he could give him was his own flawed self. It didn’t feel like enough. Despite his wariness, Yosuke wanted so badly to dedicate himself to his partner’s care, and the thought of letting anyone else do it wounded him at his core.  
“Of course I’ll stay with him. I’ll be sure to update you guys tomorrow.” Yosuke replied, his voice a little pitchy. 

“Oh, please update me too! I’ll be beary worried for Sensei!” Teddie cried, looking panicked.

Yosuke assured Teddie that he would update him too and take good care of Souji, and Kanji kneeled to help Yosuke get his partner back on his feet. Yosuke’s heart started pounding as he gently reached underneath his partner’s back, and eased Souji’s arm around his shoulders. He started at Souji’s muffled cry as he barely brushed his partner’s back. The sound seemed to tear at the very fibre of his being.

“Partner, are you okay?” He asked, the heartbeat in his ears practically drowning out his voice.

“I’m fine, Partner” Souji whispered, “I’m fine, as long as you’re here.” 

Souji smiled at him despite the pain he was in, though the cut on his lip was bleeding determinedly. Yosuke found it difficult to put one foot in front of the other as heat sizzled across his cheeks. He was blushing now, and what was worse, Kanji was staring at him, seemingly interested in Yosuke’s flustered reaction. 

Yosuke swallowed and looked over at Kanji. As they made their way out of the TV and began the very slow walk back to Souji’s place, he felt an urge to ask the guy something. But what? Why on earth would he ask Kanji for advice on taking care of anybody, let alone his partner? Yosuke imagined that Kanji had the bedside manner of a blowfish, and yet…there was something about him that Yosuke didn’t have, and desperately wanted in this moment. Kanji seemed much surer of himself nowadays – proud of his true self. Yosuke wished he had Kanji’s self-confidence. He tried to participate in small talk with Kanji and supress the constant reel of self-deprecating chatter in his head. _Why the hell am I like this? Can’t I be the emotionally mature, reassuring one, just this once?_

“Well, here we are,” Kanji stated the obvious as the three of them manoeuvred Souji through the doorway with some difficulty.

They awkwardly managed to get Souji upstairs and onto his futon before Yosuke went to let Kanji out and lock the door.

“Well, I guess I’ll see ya tomorrow or somethin’? Make sure you let us know how he’s doin’, alright?” Kanji said as he stepped outside.

Yosuke suddenly had the urge to pull the guy back into the house and beg him not to leave. He couldn’t do this. He felt nervous and afraid. Afraid of not being enough. Afraid of seeing his partner in pain and not being able to make it go away. Afraid of the way that Souji’s gaze made him tingle all over. What if the feelings he was having for Souji were of…love? He couldn’t deal with this right now. He had no time to process it, and he was afraid of what might slip out if he were left alone with Souji. The panic and conflict must have shown on his face as Kanji, looking slightly awkward himself, clearly felt moved to be supportive.

“Listen, uh…It’ll be fine, okay, man?” He looked at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t be afraid of this, ‘cause it might just be the best thing that’s ever happened to ya.” 

Yosuke, feeling like his soul had been laid bare, felt himself blush in embarrassment. Could Kanji suddenly read his mind? He swallowed down his knee-jerk denial reaction. What was the point? Kanji could see right through his bullshit, and right now he was offering Yosuke something he couldn’t offer himself: acceptance. 

“Was it that obvious?” he croaked, digging his nails into his palms.

Kanji looked at Yosuke dead in the eye and said simply, “I know that look. I’ve worn it before, myself.” 

Yosuke felt frozen in place. Kanji knew. Of all people, Kanji was the one to understand his worries. Suddenly feeling a strong sense of gratitude toward the guy shuffling uncomfortably in front of him, Yosuke nodded, and hoped his words could convey at least some of his appreciation for his friend’s help.

“Thank you, Kanji,” he all but whispered. 

Yosuke locked the door and stood at the foot of the stairs. He felt dizzy. Kanji’s words to him had lit up a part of himself that he had purposely shrouded in darkness. The feelings he was having for Souji were…romantic. Romantic. It didn’t seem anywhere near powerful enough to describe the connection he had with Souji. This was more than ‘romance’. Yosuke knew that this bond wasn’t something he would ever feel with someone else. They were meant to be together. Soulmates. The idea only intensified the lurch in his stomach. He would have to deal with that later. Right now, his partner needed him, and he was going to try his very best to be everything Souji needed in these moments. He took a deep breath and headed upstairs.


	2. Tending Wounds.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After admitting his feelings about Souji to himself, Yusuke must prioritise taking care of his partner over the towering mess of his own emotions. It's not easy to confess your love for someone when you've repressed it for so long...

When Yosuke got up there, Souji was asleep on the futon. Damn it, he thought to himself, realising he would have to wake his partner up. Souji was all cut up, and his wounds needed cleaning. Yosuke took a deep, shuddering breath and padded over to Souji, leaning down and gently whispering in his ear. 

“Partner? Y-you need to wake up for me now”.

He felt so awkward. He didn’t want to touch Souji anywhere that would hurt, but he was totally out of it. His face already flushed; he gently tickled the inside of Souji’s wrist. 

“Come on, Partner, we’ve gotta get you up,” he tried again.

A small smile tugged at Souji’s lips and he slowly opened his eyes, Yosuke’s heart skipping a beat. It seemed to take a moment for him to register where he was. 

“Partner,” he whispered, “I’m so tired.” 

Sure enough, he looked exhausted, and it tugged on Yosuke’s heartstrings to resist Souji at all.

“I know, but you’re all cut up, and we’ve gotta take care of you before you sleep.” 

Souji seemed to understand, and limply stuck his arms out to be helped up. Yosuke, who swore his head must have been the shade of a traffic cone by now, gently helped his partner into a sitting position. 

“Stay right there, I’m gonna go grab some stuff,” He instructed, and headed into the bathroom.

He returned shortly with everything he needed- a sponge, a basin of warm water, bandages, some antiseptic and a towel. He felt a lump in his throat as he tried to swallow. The thought of washing Souji’s injuries, of touching his bare skin was almost too much to handle. Snap out of it, he told himself. Souji needs me right now. I’ve gotta put my feelings aside and focus on being a good partner. He steeled himself and perched behind Souji on his futon. Very gently, Yosuke helped his partner ease off his torn-up shirt, and far from feeling amorous felt like he was being rent in two. Oh god. His partner, in an effort to protect Yosuke, had dived in front of him as the impact hit and the result was devastating. Scars covered his partner’s back and were still dripping with blood.

“Souji…” he whispered, tears streaming down his face.

“That bad huh?” his partner rasped, with a small fake chuckle.

“I’m...so sorry this happened to you. I’m sorry I couldn’t…s-stop it. You never should have…just for m-me-,“ Yosuke choked out.

The tears were flowing down his face uncontrollably now, his words difficult to form. Why couldn’t this have happened to him instead? He felt angry at himself for breaking down just when Souji needed him to be strong, but just seeing what his partner had put himself through to save him was beyond what he could bear. Souji was the injured party and wasn’t making a fuss at all. Souji was always in control of himself, always brave and stoic in the face of danger, always…

Slowly, Souji shifted around to face Yosuke, his pale face streaked with tears. Yosuke’s heart ached as he looked back at his partner. He looked so sad, but so beautiful. He wanted to make everything better so badly. Yosuke had never seen him cry before. It physically hurt Yosuke to watch his partner like this. All he wanted was to care for him, to make memories with him, to love him. Yosuke couldn’t take it any longer. Any resolve he had ground out in the past to hide his true feelings had withered away. If he continued to push this love away anymore it would destroy him. 

“Partner”, he said quietly, reaching out to brush back an errant stray of his silver hair. “I’ve never felt this way…n-never felt this much pain or…love or connection to anyone. I just want to protect you like you protect me, and make everything okay and…”

Yosuke was hiccupping between sobs, and Souji’s eyes glistened with tears as he took it all in. He reached out and gently wiped a tear from Yosuke’s chin. He smiled sadly at his partner, clearly so concerned for him as he continued to try and talk between sobs. 

“Y-you mean everything to me and…and… I didn’t even realise until you really needed me but I…”, he reached up and clasped his hand around Souji’s, “I love you, Souji.” 

Souji didn’t think twice. Yosuke’s words lit up something inside him; a blinding light, dazzling and impassioned, a light that he had been yearning, hoping desperately for his partner to ignite for so long. He leaned forward and kissed Yosuke firmly but softly on the mouth, tears streaming down both their faces. He leaned into Yosuke, wrapping his arms around his partner’s neck for support. Heat sizzled through Yosuke’s body as if he were struck by lightning. The moment Souji’s lips met his, chills shot through him. As he kissed his partner, he let go of a year of supressed feelings, embarrassment and pain and gave into the ecstasy of feeing Souji’s lips move against his own. He ever so gently moved to cup Souji’s chin in his hands, to hold him still and will this moment to never end. 

When it did, Souji pulled away only slightly. Resting his forehead against his partner’s, he looked into his eyes. Yosuke was feeling so many emotions. Love, elation, sadness, and anger at himself for continuing to cry. But Souji was crying now too; something he had never seen before. A beautiful, vulnerable part of himself that he trusted Yosuke enough to share in. To think that he felt the same way was enough to make Yosuke’s body tremble. To think of what Souji was putting himself through, just to keep him safe…

“Yosuke…I love you, too.” Souji whispered, gazing into his partners eyes, brown and welcoming and warm.

“I’m so…so happy” Yosuke whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. “Damn it, I’m so emotional!” 

Souji’s face, so full of love and heartfelt seriousness, turned to pure joy as he laughed softly. 

“Yosuke, you’re so adorable. Why are you mad at yourself? Being emotional is a wonderful thing. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” 

“Really?” Yosuke replied in earnest, “A-are you sure about that?” 

Souji just laughed more at the confused look on his partner’s face, reaching up and kissing him on the forehead where his brows were knitted in confusion. “I’m absolutely positive. It’s something I love about you.” 

Yosuke chuckled himself, blushing furiously. No one had ever told him his emotional self was good before, let alone that they liked it. Souji loved him as he was, which was equally baffling and amazing to him. Souji _loved_ him. Once again he felt dizzy, glad to be resting his forehead against his partner’s. A slow trickle of blood dripping down Souji’s lip snapped him out of his reverie. 

“Crap! Partner, we’ve gotta get you cleaned up. I won’t neglect my duty just because I want to keep kissing you.” 

“Aww, but kissing you is so much more fun,” Souji whined, leaning in to give Yosuke another few short kisses.

Beaming, Yosuke chuckled. He had to gather all of his mental strength to pull away. 

“More kisses later, but now it’s my turn to take care of you, Partner,” he replied. 

Souji reluctantly shifted around to face away from Yosuke, who couldn’t help but wince at his partner’s injuries.  
“This…might sting a little,” he said quietly.

Souji tensed up immediately, and a wave of sadness hit Yosuke. Tentatively, he reached out, sliding his hand over Souji’s and lacing their fingers together.

“Feel free to squeeze if you need to” he offered, watching Souji’s shoulders relax a little.

Souji squeezed his hand in response, and Yosuke gently began to clean his wounds. The moment he made contact, Souji stiffened, let out a stifled yelp and squeezed Yosuke’s hand. Yosuke hated that Souji was going through any more pain tonight. In an effort to soothe his partner, her began muttering comforting sounds.

“It’s okay. I’m here. You’re okay, sweetie.”

The pet name slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself and Yosuke immediately felt his stomach lurch. He didn’t even know if Souji liked pet names. Should he apologise? Souji seemed to have frozen in place. Was he that disgusted? Of course, I had to go and push things too far. Yosuke opened his mouth to apologise, to fill the awkward silence with anything else when he heard his partner mutter something inaudible.

“Hmm?” Yosuke squeaked nervously.

“A-again,” Souji requested quietly, talking into his chest, “please, partner? Say it again?”

A warm feeling spread through Yosuke’s entire body. Oh god, Souji actually liked it. He really liked it! Leaning forward, close to Souji’s ear, he whispered.  
“Sweetie…You’re okay. You don’t have to be brave for me.”

Looking down at his hand as Souji squeezed it, he watched goose bumps appear along his partner’s arms. _I did that!_ Yosuke thought to himself. _I gave Souji goose bumps, and with something so simple._ He leaned a little further and kissed his partner’s neck, a jolt of giddiness hitting him at the thought that he could do that now.

“Come on, let’s get this over with,” he said.

It seemed to take an age. Yosuke cleaned off the cuts while Souji tried to bare it as best as he could, squeezing his partner’s hand tight. At one point Yosuke suggested turning on the TV as a distraction, but after thirty seconds of the Tanaka’s Amazing Commodities theme song Souji had muttered through gritted teeth that if it didn’t stop now he was going to throw the TV out the window. Instead, Yosuke did his best to make comforting, one-sided small talk. Eventually he was gladly disposing of his self-made medical kit, his stomach fluttering at what was going to happen next. He headed back into Souji’s bedroom, half nervous, half elated.


	3. I'll Take Care Of You.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As if confessing his feelings to his partner wasn't emotionally taxing enough, Yosuke realises he now has to navigate spending the night with him. Souji finds it easier to express himself in the quiet darkness of his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to give Souji a chance to tell Yosuke how he's been feeling, because our stoic boy has a lot of feelings hidden beneath that calm exterior! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. I have begun writing another one, but I think it'll serve as more of an epilogue to this particular story. We'll see!

As Yosuke entered, Souji was just kicking off his jeans. Or attempting to. Yosuke was paralyzed and about to apologise and reverse back out the door when Souji looked over at him, clearly struggling to extricate his limbs without leaning over and hurting himself. 

“Uh, a little help?” he asked sheepishly. 

Yosuke, his stomach doing backflips, walked over and seized the legs of Souji’s jeans. It was an awkward scenario, but soon they were both laughing as Yosuke tugged on the jeans so hard, he tripped backwards over the desk chair and landed on Souji’s couch. 

“Don’t make me laugh,” Souji wheezed, “It hurts!”

“I’m sorry, I tripped on this stupid thing!“ Yosuke cried, his frustration dissolving into a chuckle as he saw his partner doubled up in laugher.

Of course, he now had a scantily clothed Souji to contend with. Yosuke suddenly felt very hot as the realisation hit him. He was torn between feeling flustered over his partner and wanting to prioritise caring for him. Despite the confession, this was all so new, and Yosuke was terrified of messing things up. Recovering his composure from the laughing fit, Souji looked over at Yosuke expectantly. _What the hell do I do now?!_

Yosuke awkwardly fluffed the couch pillow, wondering how the sleeping situation was going to work. _Why am I fluffing a pillow that he’s not even using? God, I need to calm down._ Would Souji be okay with them both sleeping on his futon? Was that too far? It seemed kind of weird to sleep apart after what had just happened, but he also didn’t want to be too forward. So many questions were spinning in his mind and it was nauseating. Luckily for Yosuke, Souji seemed pretty adept at reading his partner’s thoughts. A delicate blush spreading over Souji’s cheeks, he tapped the spot next to him on the futon. 

“Hey partner, are you coming?” he asked.

Souji tilted his head to the side questioningly- a mannerism that made Yosuke’s heart skip a beat. _Damn it, he’s cute._

“Of course!” Yosuke said, kicking off his own jeans and sitting down next to Souji on the futon.

Souji must have noticed how nervous his partner was, because he smiled warmly and seemed to take the reins of the situation. 

“So, do you…want to…to… _cuddle_?” Souji asked.

Yosuke couldn’t help but giggle at his partner’s formal way of approaching the situation. He pronounced the word cuddle with an air of uncertainty, as if he’d never said it before in his life.

“As if you have to ask” he replied, lying down on the futon and gesturing for Souji to join him. “I don’t think you should be lying on your back right now, so come cuddle in, partner.” 

Yosuke felt a little lightheaded as Souji slowly eased himself down, wiggling towards his partner as if cuddling was a complicated car parking manoeuvre for which he would be graded. He spent a minute or two rearranging himself, shifting this way and that, and it was all Yosuke could do to bite his lip, trying not to chuckle audibly. It was incredibly cute that Souji’s measured way of doing things extended to cuddling. Apparently, Yosuke’s amusement showed on his face, because when Souji finally settled himself in the crook of Yosuke’s arm and looked up to smile at his partner, he frowned. 

“What?” He asked, a little defensively.

“I’m sorry but you’re so god damn cute, Souji.” Yosuke automatically replied, reaching down and kissing him.

It was then that Souji involuntarily made a muffled quiet moan in the back of his throat. Yosuke, surprised but extremely pleased by this little outburst, tried to pull away gently to tell him so, but Souji was having none of it. Reaching up to cup his partner’s cheek, Souji continued to kiss him, kisses that were so gentle and passionate it felt like he was inviting his partner to glimpse into his soul. When Souji reluctantly broke away from the kiss, he immediately snuggled shyly into his partner’s chest. 

“S-sorry, that just slipped out,” he mumbled, drawing idle circles on Yosuke’s skin with his finger, “Let’s never mention it again. Well, goodnight!”

“Souji, don’t you dare apologise for doing something so hot ever again,” Yosuke chided mockingly. He gave his partner a kiss on top of the head and a gentle squeeze. “Let’s review what we’ve learned about this tomorrow, after you’ve got some rest.”

They lie snuggled up, Souji resting against Yosuke’s chest, in blissful silence. 

It was immediately apparent that there was no way Yosuke was going to fall asleep. He tried for what felt like eternity, but his brain was full of activity. There was too much to marvel at in this moment. Holding his partner like this for the first time after imagining it for so long was something he wanted to remember, something he wanted to be awake for. After a while, he wondered whether Souji had fallen asleep. The temptation to spend every moment he could talking softly to his partner in the dark conflicted with the fact that they both needed rest. He decided to whisper softly and see if Souji reacted. He sang quietly to himself, staring up at the ceiling.

“Anato no, terebii ni, jika netto Tanakaaaaa-"

“Yosuke, I swear to god,” came the immediate, hissed response, but Souji was shaking with laugher in his arms.  
Yosuke laughed too, surprised that Souji hadn’t fallen asleep. 

“Sorry sweetie, I was just wondering if you were awake.”

“How could I sleep at a moment like this?” came the reply, Souji snuggling further against Yosuke’s chest. “This feels so good. I…“ Souji paused, and began tracing shapes on Yosuke’s bare skin again. “I never thought I could have this.”

Yosuke shifted a little underneath his partner to look at him, a futile instinct in the darkness of the room. He wanted to switch on the light and be reassuring, but then he realised how raw this emotion was. How raw this connection was. Somehow, their two soft voices in the darkness, skin on skin, was a perfect combination. Yosuke realised that being in the dark probably made it easier for Souji, usually so restrained about what he shared with others, to bear his innermost feelings.

Instead he reached down to play with his partner’s hair in what he hoped was a soothing manner and asked, “What do you mean, partner?”

“Just… _this_.” Souji flattened his hand against Yosuke’s chest, “Being held, being comforted, being taken care of, and by the boy I love at that…” 

The end of Souji’s sentence was a little strained, and Yosuke felt a tear drip onto his chest. “Ugh. I’m sorry that I’m crying so much tonight, but it’s the first time I’ve felt like I’ve been allowed to cry for so long.”

Yosuke reached down and took Souji’s hand in his own. He kept silent, wanting his partner to let it all out, uninterrupted. After another beat of silence, Souji continued.

“Do you know what meant so much to me tonight? Of course, when you told me that you loved me, but also when you said that I didn’t have to be brave for you. You…You let me be scared, Yosuke. I’ve always tried to be everything for everyone else. In my personal life and in being the leader of our team. It’s not that I don’t understand what an honour it is that people look to me for that but…I’m scared too sometimes. I want to be taken care of too. I’m human, too.” 

Yosuke’s emotions were in torment. He felt so humbled that his partner had shared this with him, and yet it was so devastating to hear. The boy in his arms shifted a little, and Yosuke gave his hand a squeeze. It was true that he had always looked up to Souji as a leader, and even envied him at one point for his stoicism and emotional strength, but he had never realised how much Souji was hurting behind that strong front. Yosuke had never seen Souji’s shadow but hearing all of this from him as he held him close and safe felt more intimate than seeing any alternate version of his partner could have. All he wanted now was to take care of Souji, to protect him, to love him. Yosuke’s mind flashed back to watching goose bumps rise on his partner’s skin in response to his words. _You don’t have to be brave for me._

“Partner,” Yosuke rasped, “I’m so sorry. All the responsibility of leading the team, and how everyone leans on you…it must be so tough. I want you to know that you can always lean on me and that as long as you’ll have me, I’ll happily spend forever taking care of you.” 

Souji was shaking gently in his arms, and Yosuke continued to make soothing noises.

“Thank you so much for trusting me and sharing this with me. You know how in the past I idolised you for how strong you are, but that was because I didn’t see value in myself. You seemed like the opposite of me. So cool and collected, while I was so emotional. You’re still incredible and strong, but I know you’re more than that, Souji. You’re strong, but you’re also vulnerable, and I love seeing that side of you too. I feel so honoured that I get to be the one to care for you.”

A silent moment passed.

“It’s kind of funny, isn’t it?” Souji whispered, “We both have attributes that the other one has been chasing all this time. When I see you being yourself- your beautiful, emotional self? Well, you inspire me, partner. If it wasn’t for watching you, I never would have been able to tell you what I just did.” Souji nuzzled against Yosuke’s neck, “I love you.”

“I love you too, partner.”

Despite the darkness, Yosuke seemed able to sense what was coming next. Their lips met in another kiss, and Yosuke felt Souji melt into it, giving himself up to it, letting go as if pouring out his feelings to his partner had given him a newfound sense of freedom. The kiss tasted salty and sweet, the pair of them having cried a lot that night, and Yosuke felt himself grasping half-heartedly at the last of restraint. He kissed his partner with fervour, pulling back to gently nip Souji’s lower lip between his teeth. It seemed to make his partner come completely undone, and he felt Souji press in closer. Yosuke’s leg was now between Souji’s knees in a way that made him very hot and bothered, and he felt that he wasn’t the only one as Souji shifted a little and nibbled at his neck. 

“Okay, okay,” Yosuke panted, his hands on his partner’s waist, “We’ve gotta stop right now. We’ve gotta calm down.” 

“Mmph, I know,” Souji sounded a little whiny, Yosuke noted, which was adorable and extremely uncharacteristic. “I don’t want to, but I know.”

Souji reluctantly moved back to his spot in the crook of his partner’s arm, listening to Yosuke’s heartbeat gradually slow from its fast, rhythmic beat. Yosuke felt like his entire body was glowing from the inside out. He and Souji had always shared an inseparable bond, but now he felt that they were truly, inextricably linked together. They had shared the deepest, most vulnerable parts of themselves with each other, and the intensity of their connection felt incredible. 

The pair soon fell asleep this time, exhausted both physically and emotionally. Souji had the best night’s sleep he’d had in countless months, feeling safe in his partner’s arms, and Yosuke slept like a baby, knowing that his whole world was right there with him, and that there were so many new adventures yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I have been completely surprised by the kudos and comments on this, my first ever fic, and I really do appreciate it and love to think you're all enjoying it! It keeps me motivated to keep writing fluff for everyone to enjoy. (:


	4. I Would Love Nothing More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke continues to look after Souji as he recovers, full of happiness from the night before and eager to discuss the future of their relationship. He just hopes that he and his partner are on the same page...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Just a quick update on this fic. I said at the beginning that it would likely be 3-4 chapters. This is the fourth chapter of what will now be a five chapter fic. I sat down and wrote the rest of it including the ending, intending for it to be one chapter but it was way too long, so I'm splitting it into two parts! I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for the support!

Yosuke could not remember changing his alarm sound to the Junes jingle. Maybe he left the TV on last night? Nevertheless, he reached out, eyes still tightly closed against the insistence of the early morning light and fumbled to turn it off. He was still half dreaming. Trying to get his brain to disconnect from sleep was like wading through treacle. _What the hell is on top of me right now? Did we get a dog?_

Souji smiled to himself and grabbed his partner’s flailing wrist.

“My Yosuke, not a morning person?” he purred into Yosuke’s ear, “Who would have guessed? Aw, your hair is so cute when you wake up!” 

Yosuke was hit with a jolt back to reality. Managing to shake off the last tendrils of sleep, he realised where he was and who he was with. He smiled as his gaze fixed on Souji. For so long his partner had been the first thing he had thought about when he woke up. Now he could be the first thing he saw, too. 

Souji was sprawled on top of him and smiling back, their legs still tangled together. Yosuke had never seen such a beautiful sight, and he was torn between basking in his adorable partner and his battle with sleep, which still tugged insistently at his eyelids. He settled for wrestling the TV remote out of Souji’s hands and turning it off.

“Hello,” he said sleepily, rubbing his eyes and planting a kiss on his partner’s forehead. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Fine.” Souji replied all too quickly.

After a moment he peered back at Yosuke, who was clearly having none of it. “Try again.”

Souji sighed. He wasn’t used to being the injured party, and he knew Yosuke loved him, but he didn’t want to cause worry for his partner or be a burden.

“It…hurts,” he admitted, “It hurts but I feel better for resting. I think I’ll be able to get around okay.”

“Better. I’m here to take care of you so you better get used to it!” yawned Yosuke. The immediate business of checking on Souji over with, he was ready to go back to sleep. “Baby, you know I love you, but it’s the crack of dawn. Need more sleep!” he mumbled, resting back on the pillow and closing his eyes. 

This only seemed to encourage Souji further, who smiled at the pet name and seemed more intent on engaging Yosuke in conversation. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Partner, it’s 6:30! I let you sleep in!” He replied.

“Oh my god it’s still the middle of the night!” Yosuke wailed, his pout turning into a smile as Souji began to pepper his face with kisses. 

_At least I’m being woken up in the best possible way._ He reached down, having to stop himself from instinctively pulling Souji closer and adding to his injuries. He settled on resting his hands on the back of his partner’s thighs. Yosuke noticed Souji’s cheeks blush pink as he pulled away from the onslaught of kisses. 

“S-sorry—” he muttered, making to take his hands away. 

“No!” Souji interrupted, “Keep your hands there, please. I was just…a little flustered, but I like it.” 

Thrilled by his partner’s reaction, Yosuke happily participated in the long, slow kisses that ensued. They had jumped from long-withheld confessions of love to kissing to sleeping in the same bed all in a few short hours, and it was both wonderful and exciting and a little nerve-wracking. Now that they had finally confessed their mutual feelings for one another, it was so tempting to just let go together and see where their hearts took them. Yosuke trusted Souji so completely that it felt right. He also knew that they should probably try and pace themselves, rather than getting hot and heavy first thing in the morning. Souji knew it too, and there was a look of frustration in his eyes as he reluctantly broke a kiss that was getting a little too intense for 6:30 in the morning. 

Yosuke felt the deprivation of Souji’s lips on his, but he knew there would be time for that later. Besides, getting physical wasn’t the only thing he wanted to do with Souji. He wanted snuggle up and watch movies with him, to comfort him when he was sad, to share his embarrassing favourite romantic songs with him, to walk around Inaba holding hands together, and to spend hours just talking, whispering in the dark about anything and everything. And eventually…

Damn it, he was totally awake now. Souji’s kisses had been entirely too stimulating.

“You had to get me t-thinking… _thoughts_ didn’t you?” he snapped in mock anger, crossing his arms.

Souji, who was now sitting on top of him, uncrossed his partner’s arms and laced their fingers together. He raised one eyebrow, looking down at Yosuke with a sort of menacing expression that the brunette had never seen before. 

“…What kind of thoughts?” He drawled. 

“OKAY, UP! We gotta get up!” Yosuke squeaked, gently shifting his partner off him and practically springing out of bed. 

He spun around to face Souji, who was looking extremely pleased with himself.

“You did this on purpose, didn’t you? You just wanted me to get up! It’s some sick sort of game. Well, now I know your little tricks, Souji!” 

Souji pouted, his silver hair falling into his eyes and looked up at Yosuke through his long lashes. 

“…Not all of them,” he purred.

“Unbelievable!” cried Yosuke, who hobbled uncomfortably to the bathroom, muttering to himself about tricky partners and their beguiling ways. 

Not a full minute passed before his head appeared around the door again. 

“Um…do you…have any clothes I could borrow?” He asked sheepishly.

After a quick shower, Yosuke pulled on the clothes Souji had given him. They weren’t that different in size, with souji being just a bit taller than he was, and he was more excited than he would admit to himself as he pulled on Souji’s t-shirt, sweatpants and hoodie. He had never seen Souji in a hoodie. He chuckled to himself imagining his partner, who always left the house looking put together, sitting around in a hoodie. The clothes smelled like Souji, and it made his heart flutter a little to envelope himself in the comfy folds of his partner’s clothes. _This is what lovers do, right? This is what…boyfriends do._ He hummed his favourite song as he went back to Souji’s room.

He entered to see that Souji had managed to get himself half dressed. 

“Hey! What are you doing? Be careful – I thought you were gonna wait for me to help you!” he cried. 

“It’s okay, I can lean over and change this half,” Souji gestured to his lower body and Yosuke’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s getting my shirt over my head and lifting my arms that’s the problem. Will you help me?” 

“As if you have to ask,” Yosuke replied. 

He helped to gently ease Souji’s shirt over his head. 

“I want a shower,” Souji grumbled to himself “I swear I would be okay!”

Yosuke pulled down Souji’s shirt and leaned into him, kissing the side of his neck and burying his face there, “God, you’re so stubborn,” he said, his voice muffled. “Maybe later, but right now there are more important things to do.”

Souji, trying his best to maintain his frown, eventually succumbed to his partner’s kisses and chuckled, taking his hand and standing up. 

“Ready for breakfast?” he asked. 

Yosuke knew what was coming before it left his partner’s lips. 

“There’s no way in hell that you’re cooking, Souji.” He said simply, wrapping an arm carefully around his partner and ushering him downstairs.

“But you’re my guest!” Souji countered as he was steered towards the kitchen.

“How can you be so formal right now! A moment ago we were making out!”

In ten minutes, Yosuke brought a tray of pancakes over to Souji, who had been ensconced on the couch and forbidden to get up. The silver-haired boy couldn’t help but lose some of his determined pout at being made to stay out of the kitchen as he looked up at Yosuke. Wearing his hoodie that was adorably slightly too big on him and the sleeves pooling at the wrist, Yosuke handed him a huge stack of pancakes which smelled amazing. 

“Ah come on, this isn’t so bad right?” Yosuke teased, winking and ruffling Souji’s hair. 

“Ugh, stop being so cute. It’s infuriating.” his partner replied, tucking into his breakfast.

“Pay back for earlier,” Yosuke replied sweetly, plopping down next to him and grabbing his phone. “Enjoy your revenge pancakes. I’m gonna text everyone and let them know how you’re doing.”  
Yosuke compiled a text to send to the whole group: 

_Hey, all. Souji is ok. He slept fine n he’s on the couch eating my amazing pancakes. I told him he better not move or I’ll be pissed. Maybe tonight u could all come over? Bring food or we’ll b living off pancakes forevz._

Hitting send, Yosuke felt a little weird about Kanji. He felt that he owed it to the guy to let him know that things had gone well between him and Souji, but he had no idea what his partner was comfortable with. Was he ready to tell their friends? He felt his heart sink a little at the thought of having to keep his hands off Souji when they were out and about, now that he knew how wonderful it felt to hold his partner’s hand. Watching Souji finish up his pancakes, he resolved to broach the conversation. 

“So, how were they?” He asked, trying not to let his nervousness show.

“Delicious! I didn’t know you could cook Yosuke, but I’m seriously impressed.” Souji grinned, moving the tray to one side. 

“Well don’t get used to it because that’s literally all I can make,” Yosuke replied. 

Souji chuckled, his smile infectious. _This will go fine; the worst part is over. Souji loves me, and I’m sure we can work it out._ Yosuke took a deep breath, fiddling absent-mindedly with the drawstrings of his borrowed hoody.

“So, Kanji. He um…he…knew” Yosuke squeaked.

“Knew what?”

“About my feelings for you. He sort of… _told me_ about them?” Yosuke continued awkwardly.

“Kanji?” Souji replied flatly, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. “Our Kanji? Kanji who beats up shadows with a school desk? He was more in tune with your feelings than you were?” 

“I mean I _knew_!” Yosuke protested, “Deep down I knew but I hadn’t admitted it to myself yet. I figured if other peeps could see it on my face it was high time to admit to myself that I um, love you.”  
Suddenly Yosuke felt very warm under the hoody. He felt like a bit of an idiot, admitting that someone else had to give him the push he needed to be with the boy he loved. His thoughts were interrupted as Souji reached towards him and took his hand. 

“hey, look at me,” he said kindly, a warm smile on his face, “What’s going on in that head of yours, partner?” 

Yosuke’s negative thought cycle ground to a halt as Souji’s smile renewed his resolve. He had to get a hold of himself. 

“Sorry I…my thoughts started going down a dark path. I’ve gotta work on that, I know. I just feel kinda pathetic that I was too scared to face my feelings.”

“Well you shouldn’t.” Souji said firmly, “Coming out is never easy, especially when you’re coming out to the person you love, and for the very first time, too. You should be proud of yourself, Yosuke. What you did took guts.”

“Yeah, you’re right, I guess. I just didn’t realise how obvious it was.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t obvious to anyone else. Kanji has gone through the exact same feelings himself. That must make it easier to recognise in others.”

“True,” the brunette conceded, “I sort of feel like I owe him some explanation of how things went but…I don’t know how you feel about it. I’m not sure where we go from here. That is, I know where I’d like to go but I want to make sure you’re totally comfortable with everything.” 

Souji looked at his partner in silence for a moment. Yosuke felt a wave of panic but managed to trample it down. Souji was just considering. He was the opposite of impulsive. 

“I’ve been thinking about that too,” he replied slowly. “My concern is that I want you to be comfortable, Yosuke. This is still very new for you, and I would totally understand if you wanted to take things slowly. But for myself, I’ve known how I feel about you for quite a while, partner. If it were up to me, I’d…”

Souji paused for a moment to gather his courage, and Yosuke noticed that his partner was just as prone to hesitance as he could be in these matters. After a pause that had Yosuke’s heart pounding in his chest, Souji looked straight into his eyes and rubbed a thumb over the back of his hand before continuing.

“I’d love nothing more than to tell everyone that you’re my…my boyfriend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, for the kudos and comments - I really appreciate every single one. It makes me happy to know that there are people who are excited for more! As I said, the next chapter will be the final one of this particular fic, and it will be up very soon. Stay tuned!


	5. My Heart is Full

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke can bearly believe it, but Souji is his boyfriend! He's ecstatic about what the future with his partner will hold, but first, the couple have to come out to their friends, and Yosuke is nervous. How will they react? Not only that; one of them is due a huge apology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the final chapter of this particular fic! I sincerely hope you all enjoy it and feel it brings things nicely to a close on this part of Yosuke and Souji's adventures together. Thank you for reading!

Souji looked straight into his eyes and rubbed a thumb over the back of Yosuke’s hand.

“I’d love nothing more than to tell everyone that you’re my…my boyfriend.” 

It hit Yosuke like a wave. So many feelings; surprise, joy, excitement, disbelief, and wonder. A wonder at all of the many possibilities this future with his partner would hold. He had hoped that Souji would be cool going public with their relationship, but watching him say so confidently that he wanted to tell everyone he knew that Yosuke was his boyfriend? It made him giddy. He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s neck and kissing him softly, languidly. They had all the time in the world to enjoy together. 

“I would love that too” he whispered back.

The couple spent the day together talking and watching TV while snuggled up on the couch, Yosuke having to pinch himself regularly as a reminder that this wasn’t all a dream. In the late afternoon, Souji fell asleep leaning against him, and he realised just how amazing it was that the ever-alert Souji felt so comfortable around him that he allowed himself to nap against his partner’s shoulder. Time marched on, and Yosuke realised that their friends would soon be arriving. Just as well, as his stomach grumbled in protest. Souji’s hand was suddenly on his stomach.

“Someone’s hungry,” Souji yawned sleepily. 

“Hey there, sleepy head,” Yosuke replied, “I’m starving. I hope they bring food. I told them to, but there’s no guaranteeing that Kanji and Teddie didn’t eat it all on the way over.”

Souji chuckled and stretched. “Sorry for falling asleep on you, partner. I guess I’m still tried.”

“Don’t be ridiculous- you must be exhausted and besides, it’s adorable. Totally worth the leg cramp.”

Just then, the doorbell rang. Yosuke’s heart skipped a beat. Was he ready for this? He looked over at Souji, who was smiling at him warmly. _Of course I am._ He went over to open the door, catching the end of a conversation – or rather, a heated disagreement. 

“Look, you shouldn’t have trusted me with it, then!” Kanji was shouting. “I could have carried somethin’ else!”

“Oh, the topsickles? What a great idea, after what happened last time! I figured you could restrain yourself from chowing down for _five minutes_ , Kanji!” Chie snapped back.

Their entire group was standing in the doorway, take-out bags and boxes piled in their arms. Chie was frowning at Kanji, and Yukiko was watching Teddie with concern as he happily munched on some of the food, unphased by the disagreement going on over his head. The moment he spotted Souji on the sofa, he dropped his bags and ran over, eager to wrap him in a no-doubt crushing embrace. Yosuke, always on the alert when Teddie was around, practically dived around the sofa to intercept him. 

“Whoa, whoa, Teddie! Don’t forget, Souji-senpai is still injured! Instead of hugging him maybe you can just…uhh—”

“Give him a big _kiss_?” Teddie interrupted, not sparing a moment for either of the pair’s reactions as he planted a sloppy kiss on Souji’s cheek. 

Souji, a little taken aback but amused by Teddie’s concern, chuckled to himself. “Thank you, Teddie. It’s good to see you too.” 

“Oh Teddie was beary worried around senpai!” the small boy wailed, plopping down next to Souji and embarking on what Yosuke knew would be a long and heartfelt monologue. 

Yosuke turned his attention back to the others. Yukiko was picking up Teddie’s dropped packages and ushering the group towards the kitchen, taking their bundles and starting to arrange the food while Chie and Kanji continued to argue the point, oblivious. 

“Pfft, like _you_ don’t vacuum everything up when we go out to eat.” Kanji drawled. 

Chie had turned an alarming shade of purple and looked fit to explode. Yosuke sidled in front of her. 

“Hey, Chie-chan? Kanji-kun? Maybe you can continue this _later_? Or never! Never works.” He said brightly, handing Chie a stack of plates. “Would you mind helping Yukiko with the food prep?”  
The arguing friends suddenly realised where they were, having been so absorbed in their argument. 

“Yeah, sure, but first I wanna check on Souji!” Chie replied. 

“Ditto…” Kanji said, giving Yosuke an appraising look before heading over to the couch.

It turned out that there was enough food to go around. Anticipating Kanji and Teddie’s pre-emptive feasting, Yukiko had ordered more food than they would normally need, and after a filling meal all eyes were fixed on Souji and Yosuke. Souji didn’t know what to do with all the attention. He was touched that his friends were concerned for him, but he wasn’t used to talking to so much about himself. 

“We’re so glad you’re all right, what you did was so brave.” Yukiko said.

“Seriously,” Kanji agreed, “I mean, I respected you before senpai, but that was somethin’ else.”

“Right? It was like something out of a movie!” Chie chimed in.

Souji fiddled with his chopsticks, embarrassed. “I’m sure you’d have all done the same. But, thank you. I really appreciate that you all came to see me, and…” his glaze flicked to Yosuke, who looked very tense. “Especially you, Yosuke. You took such good care of me and I’m so, so…” 

It wasn’t like Souji to fumble with his words. Yosuke had just assumed that his partner would be the one to make the announcement, but they also hadn’t really discussed it. He tried to subtly look over at Kanji, who gave him an almost imperceptible smile, likely having anticipated what was coming next. Suddenly, Yosuke made the decision. _He_ was going to say it.

He had imagined Souji telling everyone, but wasn’t that relying on those old expectations of his partner to always lead the team, to always speak for them and deal with the fallout? He didn’t want to do that to his boyfriend. He wanted Souji to know that they were in this together, as equal partners. He wanted him to know that he could step up and take charge, too. 

Heart beating fast in his chest, Yosuke smiled at his partner and took his hand. Squeezing it tightly, he took a deep breath. He felt a little dizzy. He loved his friends, and he knew they would never disown him for this, but in this moment, embarrassment rushed over him. They had seen how he had treated Kanji. Poor Kanji, who had been forced to come out because they had all seen his shadow. He felt a strong empathy with their friend – that must have been so difficult. Yosuke’s own latent feelings had been pushed deep down inside him then, and rather than trying to attack his friend, it was a way of attacking his own feelings for his partner in an indirect way. It was time to face that head on; to explain himself and give Kanji the apology he deserved.

“Souji and I want you all to know that…that we’re together. He-he’s my boyfriend. I... love him.” Yosuke said quietly.

For a second, no one said anything. Souji was looking at Yosuke in disbelief, an expression of overwhelming love and gratitude on his face. Tearing his eyes away from his partner, Yosuke looked at his friends. Yukiko was clearly happy for them, her cheeks flushed, Teddie looked as if he was about to implode with congratulations, Chie looked…weirdly irritated, and Kanji’s small smile was back. He looked proud. And maybe a little self-satisfied. _If anyone has a right to be a little smug, it’s Kanji_.

After a moment, Kanji looked over at Chie. She still had a sour look on her face. “3000 Yen, cough it up.”

Before Yosuke could say anything else, Teddie had practically thrown himself over their knees, his eyes sparkling. 

“Yosuke-senpai scored a hot stud!” he cried, “I can bearly believe it! Senpai and Senpai in love! How beary wonderful!”

The two boys began to laugh.

“I did! I’m very lucky.” replied Yosuke. 

“I’m _so happy_ for you both!” cried Yukiko, embracing them both in a gentle hug. “I never realised…Well, I suppose I’m not very experienced in matters of love, but I’m so proud of you. Especially you, Yosuke.” 

She gave Yosuke a meaningful look, and his cheeks grew warm. Yukiko knew how difficult it must have been for him to tell them the news. He smiled back at her gratefully. Chie, after handing over a stack of notes to Kanji, turned back to her friends, looking a little embarrassed. 

“I uh—sorry about that!” she said airily, “Kanji and I sort of had a bet going for a while. But I’m really happy for you both, too. We’ve sorta been waiting for this.”

Yosuke couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t as bad when he thought that only Kanji knew about his feelings, but Chie-chan, too? 

“How long have you had this bet going?” Souji asked, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

“A couple months,” Chie replied sheepishly. “It was over which of you would confess first.”

“I can’t believe that everyone knew before I did,” Yosuke said flatly, flopping against his partner’s shoulder.

“I didn’t know, Yosuke-senpai!” Teddie said, watching Yosuke and then flopping on to Souji’s other shoulder. 

“Neither did I – nor did I know about this _betting business_ ,” Yukiko hissed at an abashed Chie.

“It doesn’t matter who knew or who didn’t,” Kanji piped up. “You can have feelings you crush down inside yourself, but that doesn’t mean that you’re ready to have others know, including yourself.”

For a brief moment, sadness flashed behind his eyes. Yosuke’s guilt had been weighing on him for so long now. He had been planning to talk to Kanji alone, thinking that would make it easier for his friend, but maybe that was just to make it easier on himself. Kanji deserved an apology in front of everyone, just as Yosuke had made his remarks in front of everyone. He wasn’t sure if the team simply had access to his inner thoughts at this point, because Souji began rubbing soothing circles against his back if to encourage him. It was all Yosuke needed, that final push. His boyfriend believing in him.

“Kanji, listen,” He began, shifting to focus all his attention on his friend. “The things I said about you since we saw your shadow…they weren’t okay. I regret every single thing I said. T-there’s no excuse for behaving the way I did, but I want you to know that the reason I said those things was nothing to do with you, and everything to do with myself. I wasn’t ready to admit how I felt about Souji. Not to myself and definitely not to anyone else. It was a cheap way to reject my own feelings. Kanji-senpai,” Yosuke swallowed, knowing the Kanji had most definitely earned a place as his mentor. “I am so sorry. You’ve been a true, supportive friend to me throughout all this and it’s more than I deserve. If not for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here with my boyfriend right now. I would still be miserable and…self-loathing, instead of happy and…free. I don’t deserve you as a friend, but if you’ll let me, I’m going to try my best to make it up to you. I’m sorry.” 

Kanji was still watching Yosuke curiously. His gaze dropped to the floor after a moment, and Yukiko sprung to her feet with a little too much energy.

“Come on Teddie, let’s go get dessert!” She said frantically, dragging Chie up after her.

“Ooh, do we have topsickles? Do you think Souji-senpai and Yosuke-senpai will serve topsickles at their wedding?” Teddie asked excitedly, scampering after Yukiko.

Kanji did chuckle at that. He looked at his two friends holding hands, Yosuke looking very uncertain. He sighed and smiled. 

“Yosuke, senpai, you…didn’t have to do that,” he mumbled. “But…I’m glad you did. I’m really glad. Knowin’ that you think enough of me to put yourself through that…that’s proof right there that you’re a good friend but…I knew that stuff already. I never thought that you were really comin’ after me. I’ve spent years hidin’ my own feelings, and it’s easy now to see that in someone else.” he took a breath, looking a little uncomfortable. “It makes me happy that you said all that for me, so thanks.” 

He paused to pat his wallet knowingly, “I’m proud of ya, but I always knew that you would be the one to confess to Souji-senpai.”  
He got up and gave Yosuke a hug, the brunette feeling ten pounds lighter for having come clean, and so incredibly lucky to have such understanding friends. 

“Hey, watch where you’re putting your hands on my boyfriend,” Souji said, deadpan humour betrayed by a small smile as Kanji laughed and offered him a fist bump.

“Well, now we’ve got ourselves a pretty gay friend group. When are you two pairin’ off?” He laughed before being hit with an onslaught of popcorn pieces from Chie. 

“Shut up! Gimme back my money, you hustler!” she cried, chasing after him.  
“Honestly, you two. I hope you’re going to clean this mess up!” chided Yukiko. “We are guests!”

Yosuke felt euphoric. His life in this moment was perfect. He was dating his love, whom he adored, and he had an amazing set of friends. He finally felt at peace with himself, just as he was. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against Souji’s. 

“I’m so proud of you, baby,” Souji whispered.

Yosuke beamed, his heart full. 

“I love you.” He whispered back, kissing his partner deeply, despite their audience.

“ _Awwww_!”

“Yes! Yosuke-senpai is scoring again!”

“Jeez get a room, the pair of ya.”

“You guys were all in on this weren’t you? Admit it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading, and once again, for all of the interaction, kudos and comments. I'm bowled over by how many people have enjoyed this and I'm really glad I decided to try and write some fanfic! I'm not sure exactly what I'll be posting next, but there will certainly be more Souyo in future, so look out for that. I have some other franchises I'd like to write about too, but we'll see what happens!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading my first fic. This ship really sparked my creative side and I hope that my love for these characters shows. I'll be writing more Persona fic in the future, maybe some P5, too! Thanks again for reading.


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